In a recent study published in Microbiome, a team of researchers led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory conducted a five-year first-of-its-kind study investigating the microbiome (environmental profile) of the International Space Station (ISS). The purpose of the study was to address “the introduction and proliferation of potentially harmful microorganisms into the microbial communities of piloted spaceflight and how this could affect human health”, according to the paper.
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Live coverage: SpaceX counting down to late-night launch for Eutelsat
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket will launch Eutelsat’s Hotbird 13G geostationary communications satellite. Follow us on Twitter.
NASA’s new Glider Could Turn any Airport Into a Spaceport
Getting to space has almost always been a multi-stage process. Those stages typically took the form of different stages of chemical rockets, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Plenty of alternative options have been proposed, and one that NASA has been working on for almost a decade is getting closer to commercialization. The project, known as the Towed-Glider Air Launch System (TGALS), uses three very different stages – a business jet, and glider, and two separate rockets – sort of. But its main advantage means that any airport large enough to host a business jet could also become a spaceport.
Navigation Satellites fly at 23,000 km Altitude. Europe Wants to Build a Constellation That Flies Much, Much Lower
Distances to different orbits can be hard to understand. For example, the ISS sits around 400 kilometers from Earth, whereas some satellites, such as Starlink, orbit at about 550 km. Often that is intentional, as objects in those orbits will eventually degrade their orbit and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. However, many systems orbit a few orders of magnitude higher – such as the Galileo satellites that make up the backbone of the European Union’s satellite navigation network. At an orbit of around 23000 km, it has some advantages over lower-hanging satellites but also plenty of disadvantages too. Now, the EU was to eliminate some of those disadvantages by releasing a whole new set of lower-orbiting satnav satellites.
SpaceX teams in Florida prep for second launch in as many days
An Airbus Beluga cargo plane delivered the Hotbird 13G communications satellite, seen here inside its shipping container, to Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 15. Credit: Airbus
One day after launching a triple-body Falcon Heavy rocket a few miles up the coast, SpaceX rolled its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket to a launch pad at Cape Canaveral Wednesday for a late night mission to haul a Eutelsat television broadcasting satellite into orbit.
Another huge piece of Chinese space junk is falling to Earth. 'Here we go again,' experts say
Another Chinese Long March 5B rocket body will once again plummet to Earth in the coming days above a yet-to-be-determined location.
SpaceX will fly 2 Saudi astronauts to space station on private Axiom Space mission
NASA and Axiom Space are adding two Saudi astronauts to the Ax-2 manifest that already includes a NASA astronaut and a motorsports racing driver.
ESO Finds the Ghostly Image of a Dying Star
Astronomical images never cease to delight, and the European Southern Observatory’s image of the Vela nebula is no exception.
When an Asteroid Gets Close to Earth, we get a Rare Opportunity to Learn What it’s Made of
Gravity calculations can provide plenty of insight into a variety of phenomena. Everything from Einstein rings to the rocket equation is at least partially dependent on gravity. Now an undergraduate student and professor team from MIT think they have a new use for gravity calculations – understanding the interior density of asteroids.
Milky Way stars photobomb picturesque spiral galaxy in stunning Hubble photo
The Hubble Space Telescope captured the sight of a beautiful spiral galaxy, adorned with the sparkle of two nearby stars.
Is China's mysterious space plane about to return to Earth?
China's mysterious space plane ejected an object on Oct. 31, perhaps signaling that its time in orbit is nearly up.
Scientists discover largest gas cloud in space that's 20 times bigger than the Milky Way
Glowing in the Pegasus constellation are five apparently closely packed galaxies known as Stephan's Quintet — and they are whispering the secrets of galactic evolution to scientists.
Russia launches possible missile-tracking satellite amid continuing threats
The country has been threatening to act against U.S. commercial satellites looking at Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February.
NASA's InSight Mars lander has just weeks left to live
NASA's marsquake-hunting InSight mission is almost at an end, as dust is choking off the Red Planet lander's solar power supply.
'Why Am I Taller?' explores what happens to the human body in space
Space.com sat down with authors Elizabeth Howell and Dave Williams to discuss their new book on how spaceflight affects the human body, 'Why Am I Taller?'
Possible Taurid Meteor Outburst For 2022?
Why 2022 may be a banner year for the November Taurid meteors.
'Star Wars' is back in Fortnite with Luke, Leia, Han Solo and lightsabers!
Bring "A New Hope" into your Fortnite experience with fresh "Star Wars" content, available through Nov. 8.
Suit up with this incredible 4049-piece Lego Marvel Hulkbuster set coming later this month
This awesome new Lego Marvel Hulkbuster set is available to VIP members from November 4 and the general sale from November 9.
Everything we know about Ahsoka: release date, cast, plot
Ahsoka Tano is finally getting her own show, but what do we know about her live-action Disney+ outing?
Satellites help scientists see how coral reefs are dealing with climate change
Scientists are developing a new method that uses satellite images to assess how coral reefs fare amid climate change.
All aboard the Spaceship Neptune: Flying to the edge of space on a balloon
Spaceship Neptune will launch from NASA's iconic Kennedy Space Center in Florida and send passengers just below the Karman line.
